A young side shorn of several key figures away on international duty put in a solid display against the Shakers, and a free kick from skipper George Glendon, plus a late strike from Seko Fofana clinched the victory and ensured safe passage to the final.
October isn’t a month usually associated with cup semi-finals, but the Manchester Senior Cup has been revamped for the new season and is now a straight knock-out competition with five clubs competing for the trophy.
Due to a strange twist of scheduling, last season’s final only took place two months’ ago, barely a week before the new season kicked off in sunny August. City met neighbours Manchester United at Hyde for the right to lift the trophy, but were overcome by a strong, clinical United side including James Wilson.
Patrick Vieira’s men were looking to go one step further this term and clinch a first Manchester Senior Cup title since 2010.
With so many of the EDS squad away on international duty, Vieira was forced to make a number of changes and it was a very young side that took to the field at Gigg Lane. U18s duo Isaac Buckley and Aaron Nemane started up front alongside Angelino, while Sam Tattum was drafted in at left back.
By contrast, the hosts fielded a side comprising several first teamers alongside their youngsters. There were two familiar names in the line up too – Andrew Tutte and James Poole both came through the City Academy system.
The game was slow to start with City initially being pinned back by a physically more mature Bury, but the boys in blue held their own and looked to do the damage on the break. Buckley placed a header straight into the gloves of Rob Lainton in the Bury goal, and another swift City move was only curtailed as Lainton was adjudged to have brought down the young striker right on the edge of the area.
Glendon stepped up and curled his free kick into the corner past Lainton’s outstretched hand to give City an early lead.
The EDS grew in confidence after the goal and Buckley continued to pose a problem for the Bury defence. Lainton had to make a further two stops from the young striker after he combined first with Jack Byrne and then with Aaron Nemane, while Buckley also sent a header wide from Angelino’s free kick.
At the other end, Bury’s Danny Rose sent two chances over the bar in as many minutes while Angus Gunn had to be alert to prevent an own goal from Tosin Adarabioyo, who replaced the injured George Evans early on.
City weathered a late Bury storm to reach half time deservedly one goal to the good, but the Shakers emerged the stronger after the restart. Gunn watched one shot fly narrowly past his far post while Rose smacked his effort against the post just minutes later.
Vieira’s men could not heed the warnings and just before the hour Bury found the equaliser, 36-year-old Clive Platt first to the ball after Gunn did well to stop Rose’s initial effort. The City keeper made a crucial save just a minute later, tipping a well-struck free kick over the bar to stop the hosts taking an immediate lead.
Seko Fofana and Thierry Ambrose both saw their shots cannon back off the limbs of Bury defenders, while Duane Holmes smacked his effort against the post for the Shakers after running beyond the City defence.
However, City really should have retaken the lead after 74 minutes, when a clever intricate move saw three attackers advance beyond the keeper but Nemane and Fofana both had shots blocked on the line after the trio delayed too long with the initial chance.
Fofana made amends on 82 minutes, curling a fantastic effort into the corner from just outside the box that left the despairing Lainton clutching at thin air.
Bury surged forward in desperate search of a second equaliser, and City produced some stoic defending against a series of corners and free kicks, but they had Gunn to thank with a series of stops as time ticked down.
There was a late scare as Anthony Dudley fired towards goal from close range in the dying seconds but somehow Gunn got his hand to the shot and was able to bring the ball in to preserve the lead.
In the end, it was a deserved win for the young boys in blue who were the better side for most of the match and can now look forward to a final against either Manchester United or Bolton.
